Railway block-signal system.



PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906 A. L. BOWER. RAILWAY BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTIVL- APPLI OATION FILED OUT. 22, 1902.

atto/muy# the north side ci rail lengths R.

ABRAM L. BGWER, OF BYERTOWN, PENt-ISYLVANA..

RAlLWAY BLGKeSiGNAL SYSTEEM.

Specieation or" Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 9, 19438.

Application filed October 22, 1902. Serial No 123,382.

To rI/M, wiz/m t may concern:

Be it known that i, ABRAM L. Bowan, a citizen oi' the United States, residing at Boyertown, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Railway Block-Signal System, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more especially to an improved railway block-signal system wherein borne and distant signals located along the track may be operated electrically by a moving train in a very simple and eHicient way without the use of line-wires extending along thctrack.

The said invention further relates to animproved system for operating railway-signals both on the caband at points along the track,

though, as will be hereinafter seen, the cab-- signals may alone be used, the tracl -signals alone, or bot-b combined. i

The principal object of this invention is to simplify and improve the railway block-sig -nal systems as at present employed, and this l accomplish by the combinations and arrangements of circuits and apparatus herein described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagram showing an arrangement of circuits and apparatus embodying my improved system applied to a double-track railroad.

Referring to the drawing, A2 B2, A3 B, A4 B4, and A5 B5 indicate the rails, respectively, of blocks Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5 oi one track'of a double-track railroad, and it will bc assumed that this is the track upon which run northbound trainsfathat is, trains running from left to right in the drawing. The rails B B, &c., will be regarded as the west rails and the rails Ail/13, &c., as the east rails. interposed between the cast rails of successi-ve blocks are insulated -rail lengths m. Separating western rails of the successive blocks are insulated rail lengths R lying opposite and similar to rail lengths m,`and in addition to these are insulated rail lengths W', lying on At the end of a 'block i locate a vgroup oi signaling devices consisting of a main relay L', having a plurality or tongues n, l), 11,77, and d, a special relay 0', homesignal il S, a distantsignal i) S, a polarized relay P vtor controlling the distant signal, batteries E, Sie', and n, all connected by circuits, as shown in the diagram and hereinafter traced. The home and distant signal devices may be of any de sired construction, those indicated in .the` drawing consisting of a movable arm acted upon b y a magnet in such n'ianner that when the magnet is energized the arm nii] be attractedto one' position and display a certain signal, and when the magnet is not energized the arm will drop to another position and display a different signal. ln the device shown the homeesignal device rarriesadan gereignal and a caution-si Aal, and the distant device a saiety-signa and a caution-signal. T he specific structure of these signal devices forms no part of my present invention. A duplicate of the above group oi signaling apparatus is located at 'the end of each block, as shown, all oi thc appara tus-below the line of the track in the drawing being that located along the roadbed..

Each train is equipped with a set of signaling'devices carried, preferably, in the cab of the locomotive and consisting, among other parts, of three signal-lamps 110, 4l, and 42, colored to indicate, respectively, safetyf caution, and dringen according to the accepted code oi railwa v-si,.als, a neutral relay K, a polarized relay C, operating a switch-arm hand batteries t s and s s. In each cab is a main operating-circuit connected to the wheels of thetrain and receiving v current from a track-battery controlled by a distant-signal traclorclay, and three branch secondary circuits in which are connected, respectively, danger, caution, and safety cabsignals. Current in the main or primary circuit operates relays K and P C, and these relays control the secondary cab-circuits, which operate the signals.

F, F, and F represent engine-wheels in signaling positions in thc various blocks, and 1*", F, and F5 the wheels of tenders drawn by said engines, respectively. ln this system thc engines and tenders are insulated one from the other.

F and Gr represent cach a pair of car-wheels in blocks 2 and 5, respectively.

ln the diagram the apparatus and circuits above` the line oi the track are those on the trains only.

T he nature of the signaling apparatus and the arrangement of circuits will be more clearly understood from the following de- -scription of-thc operation `oi" the system.

First, it will be assumed in describing this operation that there are two trains which aiiect the signaling appaiatus-train F in block NorZ and train G in block No. 5. It

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will further be assumed that blocks Nos. 3 and L1 are clear at the time that engine and tender wheels F and F2 are in the position shown, The apparatus inthe center above the track in the drawing is that of a train when it reaches that point. Norn'ially-that is, when a train is not approachingthe end of block-the circuit through the coils of the special relays (V O2 Oi is of such high resistance that current from track-batteries E is not sufficient to operate them. As the train G, forcxainple, approaches the end of block No. 5 the resistance ofthe circuit through the coil of relay O3 is reduced, and the increase of current causes relay 03 to attract its armatures 129 and 130, partly closing the operati iig-circuits of the local honie and distant signal devices of the apparatus between blocks Nos. 5 and 4, or 'that on the left in the diagram. At the saine tiine current fromtrackbattery E of block No. ll--that is, track-batter)v of the center group of devices will traverse the coils of relay L3 and of polar relay P3, passing as follows: from the. battery E through wire 123, relay O2, wire 124, contactpoint 122, arm wire 127, rail B4, wire 129, relay L, wire 15S, relay-P, wire 157, rail A4, wire 128. arm (i, contact 121, and wire 126 to the pole ol' the battery. rI`his direction of current throughI relay P holds the arm c over to the right, and this closes the circuit to the distam signal on the road-bed, changing it from "camion" to safety The operating-cirt on ol' this distant-signal device may be traced as follows: from battery n through wire lslsl, arm 12), contact 145, wire 146, rel.-i \y wire 147, arm c, contact-point148, and wire 1110 to the battery. The relay L, holding its :ir-matured against stop 150, closes the l.meratiiig-circuit of the home-signal device, which may be .traced as follows: froni battery 1' to arnmlure 130 of special relay O, magnet-coils olI home-signal device H S, arnmture fl, and contact 150 back to battery 7, 'l`he home`and distant signal devices on thc lel`t in the diagram acted on by currents as described both exhibit signals, the heme signal indicating caution and the distant signal sal'etyxl' ln cach case the so-called "home signal" gives the signal for the block next imrmdiatelyY ahead, and the distant signal indicates the condition of two blocks ahead. 'l`ie home and distantignals normally-that when not approached by a trainstand, i'esp(\, tively, at danger and caution.I1 This will be clear from an inspection ol' the central and right-hand groups of track apparatus. ln each case W .en a train is not in an adjacent block approaching the signal-station the circuits through the signal-actuating magnets l) and (l will be broken at the relay-armatiu'es 120 and 130, for the reason that there is no train in the block to which the coils of said relays are connected to complete the circuits through theni-tliat is,

through the relays. For example, the broken circuit through the relay O2 may be traced as follows: rail B4, wire 127, armature b, contact 122, coil of relay 02, battery E, conta-ct 121, armature a, and wire At. This circuit is -not completed in the present case, for there is no train in block No. 4 to complete the circuit from rail A4 to rail B4. broken circuit through the coil of relay O when there is no train iii block N o. 3 may be traced as follows: from raill B3 to armature b, battery E,coil of relay O, armature a, and wire A3. Since there is no train in block 3 to complete the circuit. from rail A3 to rail B3, the ifelay O will therefore not be energized, inwhich case its armatures occupy the positions shown, in which they break the local circuits to the signal-operatin magnets' D and C. The armature f of re ay L'd is connected to rail-section m, and

'the stop-contact 29 of said relay is connected to the rail A4, as shown. The relay L3 being Similarly, the

at the present time energized, the arm f coinpletes the electric circuitf rom rail-section m to rail A". The armature e, also attracted by magnet of relay L3, closes the circuit to the cab-signal, which circuit may be traced as follows: from medial wire of batterv' S4, through wire 104, rail A, wheels F", Wire 113,8, ,contact 112, arm 1.11, wire 22, springs 44 45', battery s, wire4-7, relay K, wire 141, relay'P C, wire 23, artn110, contact 109, wire 137, wheel F2, rail M, wire 107, arm e, contact 106, wire 105, arm 135, contact 115, and wire 103 to the negative pole of battery S4. The current flowing in this direction through relay .P C of the cab-sig'ffal apparatus causes said relay to send ari'nk thereof to the right and also causes relay K to attract-armature li. The circuit thus oempleted may be traced as follows: froinbattey t, through wire 33,')Vhite light 42, wire 156, contact 39, arm h, wire 37, contact 31, arm i, and wire 36 to the battery. Light 42 shows thrift the blocks Nos. 4 and 3 are clear. The home and distant signals between blocks Nos. 4 and 3 and 3 and 2 at this time indicate danger and caution, respectively, the signals displayed when the acmating-magnets of the signaling devices are not energized. This condition is brought about by causing arms 129 and 130 to maintain breaks in the exciting-circuits of said home and distant signal devices, due to the inability`of the magnets of th'e special relay O2 to attract said arms on' account of the high resistance of the circuits of the trackbattei'ies-'E, upon which theyvdepend for their exciting-current. The' resistances of the windings of relays L3, P3, and O2 have,

respectively, about four, twelve, and onetenth ohms. Moreover, the train at F'shunts and dcmagnetizes relays L and P adjacent thereto, permitting arms (L b, d, f, and e of" the relay L to be drawn away. This lat-- ter actI reverses the connections of the tracklOf.

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55730 orelay short-circuits relay l] battery E of the group of devices on the right, thus causing its current to flow to relay L and polar relay l in a direction opposite to that traced through polar relay P3. The poles ol relay P2 are therefore reversed and arm c is thrown to the left, causing the lower end 135 of said arni to engage contact 116. The track, home, and distant signals are therefore at dangerH and caution respectively'. l.Assuming now that train G has passed into block No. 4, the (nib-signal-oiierating circuits may be traced follows: from positive pole of battery S through wire 114, Contact 116, arni 135, wire 105, contact 106, arm c, wire 107, rail m, wheel F4, wire 137, contact 109, arm 110, wire 23, relay l C, wire 141, relayK, wire 47, battery s, wire 143, springs 43 and L14, wire 22, arm l 11, wire 13S, Wheel F3, rail A4, and Wire 113 to the median wire of battery S3. This direction ot current draws arm h to the left and closes thel local cab-circuit through the green light 4l, as follows: from battery z', through wire 33, light 41, wire 160, contact 38, arm h, wire 37, contact 31, arm c', and wire 36 to the battery. This movement ofthe armature lz also opens the circuit of the white light by breaking7 the Contact at the stop 39. The green light in the cab, which is the caution-signal., thus burns and indicates that only one block ahead is clear. Nhen the train left block No. 5, the wheels of the engine and tender were connected through rail A". This shunts the cabcircuit, and battery s s keeps the cab-relays energized and the circuit supplied with teebler current, though in the saine direction as that previously iiowing. No break in the exciting-circuit of relay K therefore occurs,

and arm i is firmly held. Thus the cab-signal is retainedH No. 3, approaching train in block No. 2, the .battery E of block 3 would energize relay (Y, closing/the circuits ot distan t'sgnal and honie `sig-ruil at 12?".1.. but i' train in block thus breaking the circuitof battery r at 132, in which case home signal is lett at dange/i"J and the distant signal thrown tofsat'cty. When the train reaches the end of block No. 3, the circuit to the cab is broken by arms c andf. break occurs at the first insulation, and the circuit is then closed on rail lm, and then the circuit is again broken the second insulat1onarnfi .c drops and lights the red light, v-which indicates ',dangerfl rthe circuit 1s as follows: from battery t, through wire 33, light Ll0, wire 161, 36 tothe battery. When the trainileaves block No. 3, the current of battery s again ilows, but cannot replace arin 'i and disconnect thelred signal. it the tminreniains on .the 'sig'iial-railsuntii block No. i2 is cleared,

the relay L will attract arms c andf and coniplete the circuit of battery S2. The contact is located sc rar below contact il' a train should be lin block contact Si), arm i, and wire S1 that when the relay-armature t' once drops the current f neither of the batteries s or s s in the up position after being lifted by the stronger current from one of the track-batteries, such as b2 S3'.

What 1 claim is- 1. The herein-described combination of a plurality of blocks, batteries, relays, and signals connected thereto, signal-rails inserted in each line of rails proper, cab-circuits containing a relay K, having an armature adaptedI to be controlled by the currents of battery s on the cab and battery S bed, battery S3 being more powerful than battery s, together with home signals on the cab controlled by relay K, substantially as described.

2. ln a railway si nal system tlie combination of a series of b ocks, track-circuits connected therewith, home and distant relays yoperated by track-circuits, home and' distant signals along the road-bed controlled by those relays, insulated rails between the blocks, batteries and circuits connected thereto and controlled by the home and distant relays, a train equipped with circuits and relays, an armature operated by one of the relays, said armature being adapted to move through a wide range, an armature controlled by the other relay, together with sigsubstantially as described.

In a railway block-signal system, a track divided into blocks insulated one from the other, signal-stations located along the track between said blocks at each of which stations is located home and distant signals, a local circuit for o erating the home signal and a local .circuit or operating the distant signal local circuit, and a relay controlling distant relays bridged across the track of the block having its commencement at the signal-station, a relay artially controlling the local circuits of both) the home and distant signal device, and a main source of trackcurrent brid ed in' circuit with said relay across the rai s of the block having its termination at the signal-station.

4. In a railway blocksignal system, a track divided into blocks insulated'one from bridged across the rails near the commencement oi a block, a single source of track-current/and a main-line relay bridged across the rails or' said block near the end thereof, forming a normally closed -track-circuit; home and distant signals located at stations be` tween successiveblocks, a local circuit for operating the home signal and a local circuit foroperating the distant signal located at each of said stations, thc said'honie and distant relays at the commencement of a block parcan lift it, but either is sufficient to retain it` along the roadnaling devices operated by said armatures,"

signal, s.; home relay controllingthe home-` the distant-signal local circuit, said home and the other, rhome and distant signal relays.

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` track divided into blocks insulated one from the other, home and distant signal relays bridged across the rails near the commencement of a block, a single source of track-current and a main-line relay bridged in series across the rails near the end of said block,

` forming a normally closed circuit in which the :resistance is suiciently high to prevent the current therein from operating said mainline relay except when lowered bv a trainfappreaching the end nf a block; lidme and distant signals located at stations betweensuccessive blocks, a local circuit for o crating the home signal and a local circuit or operating the distant signal located at each of said stations, the said home and distant relays at the commencement of a block partially controlling inde endently the respective local home and istant .signal circuits, and the main-line relay at the end of an adjacent block partially controlling both of said local signal-circuits,

6. in a railway block-signal system, a track divided into blocks havin y insulated rail-sections inserted between the rails of each block, said sections lying substantially op osite each other, additional insulated rail-sections in one side of the track, one lying adjacent to each ofsaid insulated rallsections on the same side of the track therewith, an incomplete electric circuit connecting the single insulated section to the adjacent track-railat the end of a block and in-u cluding in said circuit a, source of current and a pole-changing device for changing the directionof the current in said circuit, an incompleteelectric circuit connectingr said single ins .lated rail-sections to the adjacent track-smil at the commencement of a block, a relay having contacts which control said circuit ilrdcpend Atly, a polar relay operating said pole-changer, a source of track-current for circuit ,operating said relays, and cabsignaling .apparatus operated by current from said'source.

7. In a railway block-signal system, a normally incomplete 4nlain.ce.b-signal circuit, two movable insulated Contact devices carried by a train, one behind the other and' `i adapted to engage bolli rails of the track, one

of said Contact Adevices connected to one leg of said main cab-circuit and the other oi said devices connected to the other leg ol' said circuit, a neutral hoiue cab-signal relay and a polarized distant cab-signal relay connected 1n series in said main circuit, a home cab-signec-ting the insulated section between blocks tothe vadjacent track-rail at. the end of a block and including in said circuit a source of current and a pole changing device for' changing the direction of thecurrent in said circuit, an incomplete electric circuit cennecting said insulated rail-sections to the adjacent track-rail at the commencement oi a block, a relay havin contacts which control said circuit indepenc ently, a relayvoperating said pole-changer, a source ot' track-current for operating said relays, and cab-signaling apparatus operated by current troni said source.

9. In a railway signal system, a normally incomplete .main cab-signal circuit, two nievable insulated contact'devices carried by a train and adapted to engage the rails of said track, one o? said devices connected to one leg of said main cab-circuit and the other of said devices connected to the other leg: of said circuit, a cab-signal 'heine relay connect- ,ed to said main circuit, -a home cab-signal and local circuit controlled by said ironie relay, and a switch and .source of current adapted to sustain the operation oi said signal along an empty block.

'10. ln a railway signal system, a normally incomplete main cab-signal circuit, two movable insulated Contact devices carried by train and adapted to 4engage the rails of the track, one of said contacting' devices connected to one leg of said vcab-,circuit and the other ot said devices connected to the other, legr of said circuit, a polar relay connected in said inain cab-signal circuit and adapted to be actuated by current therein, a main relaycircuit of which the tongue of said polar relay forms a part, said circuit divided at the tongue-contacts of said polar relay into two branch circuits, a signal device operated by one of said branch circuits and a second signal device operated by the other oi' said branch circuits.

ln testimony lwhereof I have signed. my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ABR/nr L. sowas. i

l/Vitnesses MAME B. VIELLER, ROY F. SCHEALER.

block, an incomplete electric circuit con- EIO 

